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Gold Coast shows light rail benefits

Tom RabeStirling Times

Mr Mumford last week commended the Queensland government on its foresight to invest in the 16-station, 13km light rail project as WA Transport Minister Dean Nalder said he was still considering the capital cost of Perth's MAX Light Rail project.

The $1.2 billion Gold Coast project was funded through a public private partnership, with GoldLinkQ consortium raising initial capital ahead of local, State and Federal government investment.

Mr Mumford said the GoldLinkQ, completed in mid-2014, had carried more than 6.5 million passengers to date, averaging over 18,000 trips per day.

Mr Nalder said the Gold Coast light rail had affected property values and noise was a concern for local residents but MAX Light Rail was still on the table for Perth's northern suburbs.

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"There have been a few misconceptions around what light rail will provide for the community. It's about mass transit of people from Mirrabooka and how we can do that in the most efficient and effective manner possible," he said.

"One challenge is around the capital cost for the capacity of light rail and being able to ensure that if you spend that amount you're going to get the benefit out of it."